Iowa City police investigate home invasion, knifepoint robbery

Iowa City police are investigating two separate robberies from overnight.

The first occurred just just before midnight. A 64-year-old man flagged down an officer in the 300 block of Kirkwood Avenue at midnight and said he had just been robbed in the 1200 block of Gilbert Court by a man who had threatened him with a knife, then fled southbound with cash. The suspect was described as a black male, possibly in his late twenties, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, with a thin build, short black hair, prominent upper front teeth, and wearing a dark-colored shirt and jeans.

The second, a home invasion, was reported at a home in the 200 block of Hayward Drive, where officers were called at 3:02 a.m. The residents, a 20-year-old female and a 21-year-old male, reported that four suspects broke into the home, threatened them, and left after taking various electronics. One of the suspects said he had a gun and others were armed with sticks, police said.

The suspects were believed to have left the area in a vehicle, possibly a dark-colored minivan. The suspects are described as:

• A "college-aged" black male, tall, and wearing a mask and a dark-colored hoodie;
• A "college-aged" black female wearing a dark-colored hoodie;
• A "college-aged" white male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with light brown hair, unshaven, and wearing a bandana across his face and a dark-colored hoodie; and
• A "college-aged" white male wearing a dark-colored hoodie.

No one was hurt in either robbery, Iowa City police said.

Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of any suspect. Anyone with information about these crimes is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at 358-TIPS (8477). All calls are held in strict confidence and anonymity is guaranteed. Individuals providing information do not have to reveal their identity to collect a reward.